ARLINGTON, Va. – Putting single runs on the board in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings, the George Mason baseball team completed a come-from-behind win to top George Washington, 6-5, on Tuesday afternoon at Barcroft Park.

The win improved the Patriots to 16-31 overall, while GW fell to 16-29 on the season. Tyler Mocabee picked up his first collegiate win after working three solid innings of relief, and Sean Cabrera earned his fourth save of the season. Colonials’ reliever Luke Olson (0-2) was saddled with the loss.

GW put two runs on the board in the first. With a runner on and two outs, the Colonials connected on three consecutive hits to bring in the runs and take the early 2-0 lead.

The advantage was short lived, as Mason came up with timely two out hitting to assume the lead in the top of the second, 3-2. Patrick Esposito registered the first hit of the day for the Patriots with a one-out double to left and, one out later, Mick Foley reached on an error by GW first baseman Derek Brown that also allowed Esposito to score to cut the lead in half, 2-1. Andrew Sable and Brandon Gum then put together back-to-back doubles to bring in two more runs and put the Patriots ahead.

The Colonials tied the game in the bottom of the fourth after capitalizing on a Mason error to tie the game, 3-3. Kalman led off the inning with an infield single and stole second to advance to scoring position. Murakami laid down a sac bunt and Esposito tracked the ball to make the throw to first, but Sable lost the ball covering the bag, allowing the hitter to reach safely and Kalman to score.

Taking back the lead in the bottom of the fifth, Justin Albright and Nolan Lodden led off the inning with singles before scoring on RBI groundouts by Owen Beightol and Tyler McCarthy to give the Colonials a 5-3 edge.

Mason started its rally in the seventh, pulling back to within a run. Sable hit a leadoff double to left, moved up 90 feet on a flyout from Gum and scored on a Josh Leemhuis single up the middle, leaving the score at 5-4.

Tying the game in the visitor half of the eighth, Esposito tripled to dead center and came home on an RBI single down the right field line by Satherlie to leave the scoreboard even at 5-5. The Patriots looked to add more runs after loading the bases with one out, but Gum and Leemhuis were both set down to strand the baserunners and end the inning.

Completing the comeback in the top of the ninth, Evans led off with a double down the right field line, advanced to third on a groundout from Anthony Montefusco and scored on a single up the middle by Esposito to give the Patriots the lead, 6-5.

GW made it interesting in the bottom of the ninth facing Mason closer Cabrera, loading the bases with two out. Lodden worked the count full, but Cabrera got him to strike out swinging to end the game and give the Patriots the win.

Mocabee was outstanding in relief, using just 27 pitches to retire nine GW batters in three innings. Starter Tanner Love worked the first five innings, allowing five runs (four earned) on eight hits. Cabrera allowed one hit and walked two before working out of the jam in the bottom of the ninth.

Esposito led the Patriots at the plate, going 4-for-5 with an RBI. Satherie and Evans both went 3-for-5, and Sable finished 2-for-3.

Kalman finished the day 3-for-4 with an RBI for GW.

Mason returns to action this weekend, wrapping up CAA action with a series at Old Dominion.